Competitive Disadvantage – The Essay

[PonySnob]

It is truly unfortunate that for whatever reason, our football team is one of the worst in the nation and yet over in Fort Worth, TCU seems to be able to generate nothing but positive interest in their program. For some reason, many SMU alums don't want our program to be like TCU's. Wouldn't we rather be talking about going undefeated, making a run at a BCS bowl (however unlikely) instead of hoping for 2 or 3 wins and continuing to have a wait until next year attitude. How can we truly say that we are doing things the "right" way? Right way for what - to drive a program into the ground.[/quote]

[BUS]

I know I messed up on the is Texas intead of in Texas.

Am I not correct that there is no such thing as a Education Degree in Texas. Do not you need to have a major first, then take the appropriate courses to become certified?

[jtstang]

I know I messed up on the is Texas intead of in Texas.

I believe his point was you were wrong that SMU doesn't offer the certification courses. But I could be wrong.

[jtstang]

For some reason, many SMU alums don't want our program to be like TCU's.

I don't know about that--I suspect most would like to emulate TCU's success--just the ones who are in control who don't seem to get it.

[RGV Pony]

Maybe not exactly like TCUs, but I can think of a number of programs I'd like to be like that's different from the way it is now. NW'ern. New Mexico. In a year or two, Baylor. Tulane. Houston. Boston College. Houston. Pitt. Hell, once upon a time we were looking down at Notre Dame (Gerry Faust era).

Bottom line, IMO, is $$=w's. Granted, Faculty Senate needs to chill. But I'm not BSing...hire an experienced political fundraiser...put him in charge of the Mustang Club. There's plenty of people in Big D & elsewhere with more $$ and more sense that would make it work the right way this time around.

$$=w's.

[GoRedGoBlue]

Maybe not exactly like TCUs, but I can think of a number of programs I'd like to be like that's different from the way it is now. NW'ern. New Mexico. In a year or two, Baylor. Tulane. Houston. Boston College. Houston. Pitt. Hell, once upon a time we were looking down at Notre Dame (Gerry Faust era).

Bottom line, IMO, is $$=w's. Granted, Faculty Senate needs to chill. But I'm not BSing...hire an experienced political fundraiser...put him in charge of the Mustang Club. There's plenty of people in Big D & elsewhere with more $$ and more sense that would make it work the right way this time around.

$$=w's.

I think you are putting the cart before the horse... W's = $$$, not the other way around. When you have W's, then the $$$ flows, then the SUSTAINING power is there. No one wants to donate to what is a potential losing situation.

A chicken and an egg are sitting in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette, but the egg seems distraught. The chicken says to the egg, "Well, I guess we solved the problem of who came first."

[click]

Bus, several schools offer education majors, you choose your field and take the education classes as part of your degree plan

[BUS]

But you can not get a degree in Primary Grades Education or Secondary Grades Education anymore. Like it used to be.

I do not know about the teaching certificate courses???? Are they taught at SMU?

Help Please

[RGV Pony]

Your point has merit, BUS. Now, does the luster of the w dictate the success with $$? Many would argue yes, but TCU would argue no. So would UNT. Then again, Stallion earlier had a point about Potts. He started working his Mustang Mania magic before the w's.

[Dooby]

Maybe not exactly like TCUs, but I can think of a number of programs I'd like to be like that's different from the way it is now. NW'ern. New Mexico. In a year or two, Baylor. Tulane. Houston. Boston College. Houston. Pitt. Hell, once upon a time we were looking down at Notre Dame (Gerry Faust era).

Bottom line, IMO, is $$=w's. Granted, Faculty Senate needs to chill. But I'm not BSing...hire an experienced political fundraiser...put him in charge of the Mustang Club. There's plenty of people in Big D & elsewhere with more $$ and more sense that would make it work the right way this time around.

$$=w's.

I think you are putting the cart before the horse... W's = $$$, not the other way around. When you have W's, then the $$$ flows, then the SUSTAINING power is there. No one wants to donate to what is a potential losing situation.

A chicken and an egg are sitting in bed. The chicken is smoking a cigarette, but the egg seems distraught. The chicken says to the egg, "Well, I guess we solved the problem of who came first."

Not true. At least not if you want to acknowledge that TCU had a blueprint of success that is worth, at least examining. When TCU had their 1 win season they promptly fired their coach. They then went and paid big money to Dennis Franchione to leave New Mexico and take the TCU job, which at the time was in the same conference. At TCU, the money came first. Why? Because the administration was committed.

[ponyboy]

But you can not get a degree in Primary Grades Education or Secondary Grades Education anymore. Like it used to be.

Let me get this straight. A lack of primary and secondary education degree is keeping us from the blue chip recruits we need?

[jtstang]

I do not know about the teaching certificate courses???? Are they taught at SMU?

Since you clearly misunderstood PX's previous post, let's try this once more.

http://www.smu.edu/teacher_education/undergradcertification.asp

[EastStang]

I want to explain the dichotomy so that PonySnob can understand it. SMU would love to be successful on the football field like TCU is, but we would not like to be like TCU in their poor academics or their lack of facilities. If SMU can find a way to admit better athletes while not sacrificing its academic excellence and graduation rates then so be it. I do not want to go to a program where athletes are rented for a year, don't graduate, or fail out right. I also don't want to cheapen an SMU degree to win a couple of football games. But as I said above there are ways of tweaking transfer hour acceptability and to come up with some athlete friendly majors. BTW, the B school is not a bad place for an athlete to pursue a degree. A general business major need only take one accounting course. Then they can take marketing, sales, advertising, promotion, public speaking, business law, real estate, etc. So an athlete could create his own sports marketing degree.

[Hoop Fan]

All one needs to do is go to TCU's main webpage. There is an easy link to courses offered. It takes about two minutes to figure out they have a much "broader" course offering shall we say than SMU.

[Stallion]

well don't look now Boys but TCU has a higher graduation rate than SMU for the last class counted by the NCAA. I would say that since Tubbs left and TCU no longer has 3/4 of the BB team made up of JC transfers, that TCU has done it EXACTLY right with a nice mix of academics and winning although they had to dig a little deeper into the JC football bowl last year with 6 JCs.